Catholic pupils’ joy at record-breaking A-level results

Catholic schools and colleges celebrated another year of superb A-level results last week.

Coloma Convent Girls’ School in Croydon, south London, recorded its best-ever A-level results, with a pass rate of over 99.5 per cent.

Eleven per cent of all grades were A*s, 37 per cent were A*s or As, 70 per cent were A*s, As or Bs and 89 per cent were A*s, As, Bs or Cs, confirming Coloma’s position as one of the top comprehensive schools in the country.

At Ratcliffe College in Leicester 36 per cent of students were awarded straight A*/A grades, while 62 per cent of the year group achieved all A*/A and B grades in their three or four subjects.

Headmaster Gareth Lloyd said: “Our current Year 13 students have been exemplary in every way: working extremely hard to access exciting and fulfilling opportunities after school; playing hard in a fantastic variety of extra-curricular activities, especially sport, music and drama; and most importantly looking after each other and others both within the school community and beyond.”

Farnborough Hill in Farnborough, Hampshire, had a 100 per cent pass rate and an impressive 83 per cent of results at A*-B grade, up five per cent on last year. Despite this being a very difficult year for university entrants, with a large increase in applications, nearly all the girls got into the universities of their choice. It was also a good year for Lower Sixth students with 45 per cent of the AS results at A grade and 71 per cent A/-B), again an increase on last year.

At New Hall School in Chelmsford, Essex, 45 per cent of pupils’ grades were at A* and A. New Hall students gained 31 A*s in total.

Principal Katherine Jeffrey, said: “We are proud of the students’ successes and it is wonderful to see their excitement today after all their hard work.”

Pupils, teachers and staff at Mount St Mary’s College celebrated after the Derbyshire school achieved record-breaking A-level results for the fourth year running.

Pupils’ A* grades were up on 2010, the first year in which they were awarded nationally, with 27 per cent of pupils securing A* and A grades, while 47 per cent achieved A*-B grades.

Students at St George’s College in Addlestone, Surrey, excelled this year, achieving 50 per cent A*-A grades at A-level, with 58 A* grades and 110 A grades. Jessica Manning achieved five A-levels (four A* grades and an A grade) to win her a place at Cambridge to read Engineering.

Also attending this prestigious university will be head boy, Henry Bottomley, who achieved three A* grades in addition to outstanding results for his STEP papers, in order to read Mathematics at St John’s College. Head girl Clare Parrish will read Chemical Engineering at Clare College, Cambridge, after obtaining two A* grades and an A grade.